Pressure cooking refers to a method of cooking that utilizes the heating of an enclosed and sealed cooking chamber. The pressure built up in the sealed chamber reduces the cooking time and changes the texture of the food. This type of cooking is desirable in many situations because it often saves time and energy.
However, pressure cookers also have their drawbacks. The main concern raised by pressure cooking is related to safety. One major safety concern is that users may be injured by the hot and pressurized steam if the users open the lid of the pressure cooker when the pressure is high. The hot and pressurized gas may be vigorously ejected from the cooker when the lid is opened.
Another safety concern is that the lids of pressure cookers may not be secured tightly enough. When pressure builds up inside such cookers, some lid designs may not withstand the high pressure. This again can cause severe injury to users if the lid is blown off when the internal pressure exceeds the tolerance of the lid. In some extreme cases, the pressure cooker itself could may explode. Another draw back is that some lids are not designs to carry the weight of the pressure cooker. Such lid designs may be compromised over time when used repeatedly to transport the pressure cooker. Hence, when a user carries the cooker with only one hand by the holding the handle of the lid, the lid seal may be compromised, resulting in faulty performance.
As such, providing a convenient yet safe way to open and lock the lid of a pressure cooker that addresses different safety concerns is always a challenge in designing pressure cookers. A lid that can be opened with one hand is often used in regular rice cookers but is rare in pressure cookers. While such a lid is convenient for users to open the lid, it normally only relies on one locking mechanism that is usually not strong enough to withstand the pressure in a pressure cookers. Pressure cookers usually utilizes a two-hand locking method that requires users to first screw in the lid to the body of the pressure cooker by turning the lid several rounds, then lock the lid and body with an additional locking mechanism. This design, despite normally being capable of withstanding the pressure, is very inconvenient to use.